Page 209 - Waterdeep - Dungeon of the Mad Mage_Neat

manipulated Disintegration Ray, but the rough sculpture Creatures who spend 1 hour or longer in the chasm
is clearly the work of a talentless amateur. Each chain or in any of the areas open to it are susceptible to the
has AC 19, 2S hit points, and immunity to poison and effects of extreme heat (as described in chapter S of the
psychic damage. Breaking all three chains causes the Dungeon Master's Guide). The chasm is brightly lit by
statue to fall and shatter on the floor. the lava, which fills the bottom of the chasm to a depth
of 20 feet. A creature that enters the lava for the first
39B. SECRET TuNNEL time on a turn or starts its turn there takes SS (lOdlO)
This dusty passage circumvents the adamantine doors fire damage.
to Netherskull's lair (see area 39c) and is hidden behind The surface of the lava is 30 feet below the floor level
two secret doors. The death tyrant uses its Telekinetic of the Obstacle Course. The walls in between are sloped
Ray to open and close the secret doors when it comes and have abundant handholds and footholds. Climbing
and goes through this tunnel. them requires a successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics)
check; on a check that fails by S or more, the creature
39c. DEATH TYRANT
slips and falls into the lava.
All doors leading to this area are I-foot-thick, 7-foot-di-
ameter adamantine disks molded to look like concentric 40A. M AGMA MEPHITS
rings of bones with a leering human skull at the center. Four magma mephits lounge in this small lava pool.
The skull's nose cavity contains an adamantine keyhole. If the characters parley with the mephits in a language
When one of Halaster's bone keys (see areas 19 and they understand, the mephits try to lure the characters
30b) is inserted into the lock and turned 90 degrees toward area 39c, hoping they'll either kill Netherskull or
clockwise, four bolt locks slide back from the surround- die in the attempt. The mephits detest the death tyrant
ing walls, and the door swings inward on adamantine and care only about their own well-being.
hinges. The door remains open until it is closed, and the
key can be removed at any time. Without the proper key, 4 0B. L AVA CHILDREN'S POOL
it takes four separate knock spells to open one of these Eight lava children (see appendix A) swim and play in
doors, each spell causing one bolt to slide back. The this lava pool. They also climb up to area 36d and do
doors are otherwise impregnable. cannonballs into the lava from the top of the 30-foot-
There is no keyhole on the inside of the doors. Instead, high ledge.
each door has an adamantine wheel in the middle of it
that must be turned counterclockwise to slide back the 40c. TELEPORT TRAP DESTINATION
bolts. This wheel can also be used as a handle to pull A creature teleported to this location by another teleport
the heavy door open. When Netherskull wants to leave trap appears 30 feet above the lava and immediately
the room through a door, it uses its Telekinetic Ray to plunges into it unless the creature has some way to stop
turn the wheel and leaves the door open until it returns. the fall. (Remember that spells and magic items that al-
NetherskuJJ. Unless it has been defeated elsewhere, low creatures to fly are suppressed within the chasm.)
the death tyrant fl.oats 30 feet above the stone-tiled floor Unlike other teleport traps in the Obstacle Course,
of this 40-foot-high chamber. Netherskull seeks to de- this trap doesn't teleport creatures to other locations.
stroy intruders and animate their corpses, turning them
into zombie thralls. It calls forth the zombies in area 38 40D. MAGMA MEPHITS' POOL
Six lava children (see appendix A) and seven magma
(assuming they haven't been defeated) and commands
them to attack all intruders. mephits frolic in this lava pool and watch for intruders
If the characters haven't silenced the level's play-by- in areas 18 and 21. If intruders are detected, the me-
play announcer (see "Halaster's Play-by-Play," page phits incite the lava children into climbing up the walls
194), it becomes increasingly excited as the battle with to attack the new arrivals, while the mephits use their
the death tyrant unfolds. If they defeat Netherskull, the breath weapons and keep their distance.
announcer screams, "How could this happen?! This is
unbelievable! This might be the greatest upset in the his- AFTERMATH
tory of Undermountain!" It then falls silent for the rest of Netherskull's regional effects end with the death tyrant's
the time the characters spend on this level. destruction, and Halaster takes his time replacing the
creature. Eventually he settles on abducting several
40. N ET HERSKULL'S C HASM beholders, releasing them in the Obstacle Course, and
The death tyrant carved out this immense chasm using Jetting them vie for control of the level until only one
its Disintegration Ray, and Halaster added his own remains. Halaster plans to help the winner transform
touches by flooding it with lava and confounding magi- itself into a new death tyrant.
cal flight within the chasm. Although most of the Obstacle Course's remaining in-
Spells and magic items that allow creatures to fly are habitants have no intention of leaving anytime soon, the
suppressed within the chasm. Any character who enters githzerai stay only as long as they must to reunite with
the chasm under the effect of a fly spell or similar magic their missing comrade and ensure the destruction of the
goes hurtling down into the Java. Spells that slow one's mind flayer colony on level 17.
fall (such as feather fall) function normally.

LEVEL 15 I OBSTACLE COURSE